The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-08-10

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TIE PROHIBITION q QUESTION XII
Considered Both Morally and Politically.
RIlN FITS Legitimate Sphere. NE,
Springfield (uas..) Republican. n X a
There are two theories Of prohibition the
one proceeding from a supposed mandate
Of Righteousness, the other from dictum
Of public policy, which need to be, dis.
eliminated. This has been ably and
sharply done by8a writer in the new
Princeton Rtpiev, who maintains that tho
two aspectD Of prohibition, as civil law
and rs . moral precept, are logically dis.
tinct, and that most lamentable and I'M.
chtiatlan confusion ,cf ideas resnlt from
confoundiug thess two ideas. Tho only
true Justification Of prohibttory laws Is to
BE- found In prlncIples, not Of morality,
but Of public policy. $3.50 n -
Public policy occupies wide sphere.
into which moral considerations enter.
ou. Gully incidentally. 1t Embrace what.
ever measures will best sustain the com.
mon interests Of the State In the way Of
protection aud development. It may at
any tino demand that personal freedom
shall give way to public welfare, and 40
eDtabliah quarantine, open or close high.
ways, kill diseaaed cattle, blow up homes.
or se'zs the body Of the citizen for pur.
poses Of war. It Is solely in this direction
That any liquor laws can bs desirable.
whether for regulation or prohibition,
Docs the public good domand them 4 II
1t does, personal rights must to that ex.
tent give way. 1mmoreli.ies Of any kind
must be restrained, 80 far as civil laws can
reach them, not because Of their intrinsic
bsseness, but because Of their injurious.
nese, in destroying thu peace, in the bad
atmosphere they create, the heavy taxa.
ton they impoae, tho evils against aociety
they foster. IA
aREArEsr GOOD TO THE dDGATEsr NUMBER,
II it DO '''conat,uctive danger" like that
Of moderate drinking, 1t must be clearly
shown that the greatest good Of tho great.
eat number requires such laws as shall &C.
tually nbste such danger, because aus-
tanned by q public sentiment so general
and 80 strong as to guarantee their en-
forcement. Unless law can b. so sus-
tanned it is q moral ss we'll az a civil dam.
aye. 1t matches lies and evssions and be-
comes nest Of demorslizing influences,
Thus the questiou OF fact, whether prohi.
bition is demanded by the public good ia
entirely different from the question wheth.
Or prohibition demanded by the motiyee
OF religious duty or intrinsic morality.
Not but that intrinsic morality Is conduc-
i've to the best interests OF the social or
der; but the two things should not be
confounded in the enactment of civil laws.
Amoral percep. that may be binding M.
on the individual conscience ia quite a
different thing from a measure OF state. n.
II is one OF the fallacies Of prohibition
When it takes the prsrogativs Of moral
preceps and soars into the lofty atmoe.
phere Of absolute righteousness, TO as
sums that the drinking and therefore the
sale OF intoxicants Ia sin. There is no
Chlietian warrant for tho precept ,"Thou
ehalt not drink" while Thou shalt not
injure thyself or others by drinking" has
q good foundation. The NAHUM per5 sc
should be aharply distinguished from the
NAHUM prohibilum. For instance, snug.
Cling differs from stealing in that it ia
created by prohibitory tariff. Prohibi,
ton may something be wisely expedient,,
40 the s:rlctest quarantine may be, while
1t has not the permanent sanction OF
moral preceps. At the same time Chris.
tisn morality may seek on its own higher
"r"nnds to reform vice and to promote
virtue by working from within.
AN 1MrossIpIL1rY.
You can never make men virtuous by
legal compulsion. Why not petition tho
Legislature to abolish all wickedness
No. II will not because I cannot" which
is the unmora! theory OF prohibition but
II cannot because will not,n which ia
the moral theory Of inward seli-control as
distinguished from outward circumstances.
Had high picket-fence surrounded the
tree OF the knowledge OF good and evil
Adam and Eve 3 might & not h have
fallen, but their moral etanding would not
have been Of epy great account. iSsi3l
II prohibition only could abolish intem-
perance, it would be i summary way OF
doing it, and aave much patience, time
and trouble. But the truth ia that pa.
tience, time and trouble IRE necessary
factors in the everlasting fight of isith in
divine forces with powerful human pas.
siors like the appetite for. drink and the
greed thst feeds upon its eale. When We
come 10 the bottom OF the matter, the fun.
dsmental remedy for intemperance Is not
in statutory prohibition, but in that moral
restraint which makes every man law
unto himself when he has bean educated,
not by the standard of an enforced absti-
nenee, but by the loflier one OF q volun-
tary and reasonable self.Control, aud a be-
uevolont regard for the welfare OF others
rs influenced by his character and ex.
ample. 5! !s;4 a. 2 40
The truth Is, tho moral prohibition
which works from within, from the spir.
itual center OF mans own Coincidence, as
illumined by religious motives, should be
carefully distinguished from the legal COM
pulsion which works from without and
has it's center in political naneuvering
snt the external forces Of the ballot, the
policeman, the witness-stand, e. jury.box
and court. Well enough and very good
In iis proper place, but when relied on as
the main factor, or the moral factor, in the
temperance reform, it is the cart before
tho horse. (; I'd ia
gs::55 MUST FOLLOW, NOT LEAD.
In this proper place, however, and upon
ita rightlul plane, as civil neaaure; BUS
tanned by public economy and looking
to social ends, it may become the power.
full supplement to moral forces, n When
the prohibitionist has fairly demonstrated
to the good sense and Deliberate conVic-
ton Of society in eeneral,-which are oh:
solutely essential to the permanent utility
OF any statute,-that tho greatest good Of
the greatest number requires a Sprohibi-
tory Law, then will 1t be as naturally and